What's different with the new AirPods Pro?

I am a huge fan of my Gen 1 AirPods. I remember when the AirPods were first announced - I laughed at how stupid they looked and how useless I thought they were. It was only until I saw Dwight Howard wearing them while warming up for a game that I saw the potential. I love playing basketball but listening to music on the court always required me having a phone tucked in my shorts with the cord going up through my shirt. This of course is less than ideal with the cord constantly being in the way and the phone adding some discomfort.

I made an impulse decision one day at the mall and never looked back. The AirPods are simply the best headphones I've owned, even though the actual audio quality lacks compared to some others I have had. The entire AirPods experience is pretty seamless - both buds connect immediately to my phone, removing one bud automatically pauses music, and I can play sports with them on with no issue. While I had a pair of QC-35s prior to purchasing the AirPods, they are now literally only used on longer (3+ hr) flights. I do have my issues with the AirPods, namely battery life and the limited controls (why can't I adjust volume by tapping the buds?) but the overall experience is just so incredible that it makes these issues pretty forgiveable.

The new AirPods Pro was announced a few weeks ago with a price that's nearly $100 more than the normal AirPods. This is a pretty high price for some tech with batteries that last around two years. That being said, the Pro version has some cool new bells and whistles.

$249 AirPods Pro (left) and regular $159 AirPods (right)

The biggest new feature is the noice-cancelling functionality, which from several critic and user reviews, works extremely well for the size of the buds. The Pro model is also now water-resistant, which should help with sweat at the gym. I am personally very excited about this feature. Every now and then my current AirPods will stop working while I'm playing basketball from sweat getting inside the buds. They just need a quick swipe with a shirt to start working, but it's an inconvenience nonetheless.

The Pro model now includes custom eartips

The Pro model now includes custom eartips for added customization options as well. As I'm sure you've noticed, the new model is also shorter and stouter than the older versions making them not as ridiculous looking and closer to the original corded Apple earbuds. Furthermore, there are several smaller features with the new model such as Adaptive EQ, slight uptick in sound clarity, and a pressure valve that should make them more comfortable in your ears.

 

My current AirPods are working pretty well so I don't have an immediate need for the new model (though the battery life is slowly becoming a larger issue), but I think I will still upgrade within the next 3-4 months. The new design, sweat resistance, and the noise cancellation feature make this a pretty attractive offering. It also doesn't hurt that I have a $300 Apple gift card staring at me on my desk haha.